Men's Ice Hockey

#10 Clarkson Scores Three in Second Period in 5-3 Victory over Bears

POTSDAM, NY - #10 Clarkson (18-7-4, 10-4-3) broke open a 2-2 game with three second-period goals, while earning a 5-3 victory over the Brown men's ice hockey team (9-10-5, 5-9-3) in an ECACHL game on Friday evening at Cheel Arena.

The two teams traded power-play goals to open the game with Brown grabbing a 1-0 lead less than two minutes in. Clarkson took two penalties just eight seconds apart from each other in the first minute of play, giving the Bears a five-on-three advantage at 1:02 of the first period. Brown wasted little time in grabbing a 1-0 lead when junior Sean Hurley (Rutland, VT) scored just 11 seconds into the two-man advantage. Junior Jeff Prough (Farmington Hills, MI) sent the puck up junior David Robertson (Saunderstown, RI) at the left point, and Robertson immediately passed to Hurley at the opposite point. Hurley moved in towards the slot and fired a shot from the top of the right face-off circle at 1:13, netting his team-leading sixth power-play goal of the year.

However, the Golden Knights knotted the game at 1-1 at 5:18, scoring on a power-play of their own. Chris D'Alvise beat freshman Dan Rosen (Syosset, NY) with a shot from the top of the left face-off circle that came four seconds after a Clarkson five-on-three had expired, but before freshman Jeremy Russell (St. Albert, ALB) could get back into the play.

Clarkson then grabbed a 2-1 lead at 10:17, but just 27 seconds later at 10:44, Prough tied the game at 2-2, beating David Leggio from nearly the same spot at Hurley. Prough's goal was assisted by freshman Sean McMonagle (Oakville, ONT) and junior Brian McNary (Edmonton, ALB).

Brown spent half of the second period on the penalty kill, while Clarkson was not called for a single penalty during the 20 minutes and the Golden Knights took advantage to grab a 5-2 lead heading into the final 20 minutes. Steve Zalewski gave Clarkson a 3-2 lead with a power-play goal at 13:03. Just 1:42 later at 14:45 Grant Clitsome scored a fluke goal, which would prove to be the game-winner, to put the hosts ahead 4-2. Clitsome was being pressured by the Bears at the right point and dumped the puck into the zone. Rosen went behind the net to play the puck, but instead of wrapping around the glass, the puck hit a bracket and bounced into the empty net.

Brown was assessed back-to-back penalties 20 seconds apart giving Clarkson a five-on-three advantage for 1:40 late in the period. The Bears killed the two-man advantage, but the Golden Knights snuck the puck past Rosen just after the second penalty expired.

Sophomore Eric Slais (Fenton, MO) scored late to bring the Bears to within 5-3 with 1:52 remaining, and Brown pulled Rosen for the extra attacker 17 seconds after the goal. However that was as close as the Bruno would get as Clarkson took the season-series after winning 2-1 in Providence earlier this year.

Rosen finished with 33 saves, while Leggio recorded 28 saves for Clarkson. The Bears return to action tomorrow evening when they face #16 St. Lawrence in a 7:00 p.m. contest.